Looking for Scandinavian Crime Database

[Pamela]

This is probably a long shot, but I would love to find an online site that lists every author in the genre (with a very brief bio), along with each's series (books in order published), protagonists (with a brief description of each). Bonus info would include whether each book has been translated into English, and formats available. This info is of course scattered across the internet, with much of it here on this group, but I've not been able to find a single source for it. I could pull this info together myself, but am hoping that someone has already done the work for me. Does anyone know of a site that might have all (or most) of this info in one place?
Love this group, btw. And thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[Jeremy]

Hi Pamela, what a great idea that would be! There is no one place on the web I know of, but Barry Forshaw's books Death in a Cold Climate: A Guide to Scandinavian Crime Fiction and the more user friendly Nordic Noir: The Pocket Essential Guide to Scandinavian Crime Fiction, Film & TV are great guides, which you can buy or get at the library. I wrote an overview of the genre for the New York Public Library A Cold Night's Death: The Allure of Scandinavian Crime Fiction w/ selected authors and detective series by country. Not comprehensive, but meant to be a primer for this addictive genre.

[Ken, Moderator (U.S.A.)]

Well you've come to the right place, all you have to do is go down to authors by country and click on an author. It will give you some of the information you are looking for. Sharon is the best at looking for authors by series. My list is as up to date for each country but look at each author some of them are not translated as of yet.

[Icewineanne]

Not sectioned into genres but if you know the authors, you can search by name & the site lists their series books in order.
fantasticfiction.co.uk

Another good resource is wikipedia. They identify which books have been translated & which are still to come. They also list films & tv series based on the books.

[Sharon, Moderator (Netherlands)]

Thanks Kenneth.
GRs listings are good cross reference.
Wiki is excellent cross reference. By author.
The best I've found:
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/L_A...
Again and again, comes in useful. By author, character, events, types..... Sign up for their email newsletter and like and follow on Facebook. Amazing site!

I read by series and have for a couple of decades found it necessary to keep my own list by author which I then try and keep up to date. I use postings on GRs and FB where I follow authors and groups, using the above sources. Cannot stress how necessary it is to keep a listing for yourself. Especially as English language readers of international writers, because many books get different names in different publishing areas. I've paid a lot learning that and having duplicates. I usually list by genre then author and read and when coming out and if pre ordered or better to wait.....works well.
Some sources are very good to sign up for emails. A few Scandinavian sources are great book and TV series and film info and some direct order sources. Favourite authors and publishers are good to follow of Twitter or Facebook.

Some other references:
http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-b...
http://thecrimewarp.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.thebigthrill.org/latest-bo...
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/
New good resource
http://eurocrime.co.uk/books/books_bi...

[Sharon, Moderator (Netherlands)]

Icewineanne wrote: "Not sectioned into genres but if you know the authors, you can search by name & the site lists their series books in order.
fantasticfiction.co.uk

Another good resource is wikipedia. They identify..."

That is a good one thanks. They are great info on FB.
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk
As are Scanoir.co.uk on FB.

Have you tried
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/L_A...

[Icewineanne]

Thanks for the other links Sharon. More to explore :-)

[Pamela]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! The stopyourkillingme.com site looks great! Sharon, I have decided that you are right about keeping and maintaining my own list, especially as an English language reader of international writers. Also, I'm embarrassed to admit that I sometimes forget whether I've read a particular book, and have to look on my ebook library to see if I've already bought it. Not only that, I am starting to get my detectives confused! I will also keep brief notes on the reasons why I did or did not like a particular book. There are at least a couple of authors that I've read and didn't care for, or at least that particular book, and I will put that in my notes as well.
The bottom line is that I will be creating my own list, and will definitely be using this site as well as others recommended here, to pull it together.
Btw, I don't know anyone personally who is a reader of Scandi Crime, other than a few people who have read the Stieg Larsson books. My friends look at me like I have 3 heads when I talk about the genre. Anyone else get that response?
Thank you again for your help and ideas!

[Sharon, Moderator (Netherlands)]

Pamela wrote: "Thanks for all the great suggestions! The stopyourkillingme.com site looks great! Sharon, I have decided that you are right about keeping and maintaining my own list, especially as an English langu..."

Been there but sooner or later they discover the books or films or series and off they go!
Being English speaking, living in Europe for three plus decades I started by keeping an annual list of books read. As well as list of author and books by that writer and if read or not with my own marking system. Some writers write various characters or types and I separate those, when necessary too. Have graduated to digital records from a notebook but same principles apply and it's kept me from double buying, most of the time. I can access my lists on iPhone and iPad nowadays so really handy.
I think you will really benefit from it and get to rely on it.
Very best of luck and happy,mood reading.
I also list series and films waiting for and watched. Because between international series and from NA it can be quite a wait and hunt for seasons and series.

[Pamela]

Thanks, Sharon. I am going to do this!

[Sharon, Moderator (Netherlands)]

Pamela wrote: "Thanks, Sharon. I am going to do this!"

Makes me recall an old saying from the prairie. A short pencil Is better than a long memory.....always there for reference! That and KISS are two I live by.

[Pamela]

Sharon, I like that! I'll have to remember it. Especially since my memory gets 'less long' with every year. But it makes my reading habit a little cheaper, because I reread books that I read just a few years ago, and it's almost like reading a new book! Recently I reread Mankell's "Italian Shoes", and I think I enjoyed it more the second time than the first. There are a few -- very few -- advantages to being an old fart.

[Sharon, Moderator (Netherlands)]

Pamela wrote: "Sharon, I like that! I'll have to remember it. Especially since my memory gets 'less long' with every year. But it makes my reading habit a little cheaper, because I reread books that I read just a..."

Tell me about it. :-)
BTW I really enjoyed Italian Shoes when I read it years ago! Like some of Mankell's non Wallander books.

[Dawn]

Loved"Depths"and "Man from Beijing "also (non Wallander Mankell's

[Pamela]

Sharon wrote: "Thanks Kenneth.
GRs listings are good cross reference.
Wiki is excellent cross reference. By author.
The best I've found:
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/L_A...
Again ..."
Just curious, how do you keep your list? Do you keep it on a spreadsheet, or just a different list by author? I need to get a handle on this soon.
Thx!

[Sharon, Moderator (Netherlands)]

Pamela wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Thanks Kenneth.
GRs listings are good cross reference.
Wiki is excellent cross reference. By author.
The best I've found:
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/L_A......"

Response by GRs mail....

[Helen]

I mostly read books by authors whose style I like E.g. Read anything of Johan Theorin and Persson. I am rarely disappointed. I am uninterested in Nesbo and Jussi Alder OLsen. I read oher people's reviews. A great site that I am starting to use is Euro Crime and Crime Pieces. Here I found Elsbeth Egholm. Loved Three Dog Night and so I followed it up with her Dead Souls and Next of kin. She is a great Scandi author and gets little attention. I also hit on The Human Flies by Hans Olav Lulham through this source and was delighted that he was nominated for a Swedish writers award. Through Crimepieces I stumbled across In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward. I do not stop at Scandi books I am at present reading The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer and loving it. Also The Second Child by Jon Stenhugg. That is interesting. A possible child of Hitler settled in Sweden. Also Orient: A Novel I read the reviews by GR. There have of cause been some mishaps. Do not get me started on After the Crash

[Sharon, Moderator (Netherlands)]

Helen wrote: "I mostly read books by authors whose style I like E.g. Read anything of Johan Theorin and Persson. I am rarely disappointed. I am uninterested in Nesbo and Jussi Alder OLsen. I read oher people's ..."

Thanks for sharing....very interesting. Myself I try to alternate my reading choices by location and genre and find that very necessary to keep a good balance.

[Jane]

Pamela wrote: "Thanks for all the great suggestions! The stopyourkillingme.com site looks great! Sharon, I have decided that you are right about keeping and maintaining my own list, especially as an English langu..."

I have read loads and made an intro list, and two of my friends are now hooked.if you are a reader, it's fantastic because there is so much.

[Angela]

Jane and Pamela - I use the Goods Reads app to store what Ive read and what I want to read. By keeping this list - with the covers attached, I can easily see what authors I like and have yet to read. Every time i see a discussion on new books/authors i add them to my To Read list.

[Eurocrime]

If I can plug my own database, here is some of the information you're after: http://eurocrime.co.uk/books/books_bi...

[Sharon, Moderator (Netherlands)]

Eurocrime wrote: "If I can plug my own database, here is some of the information you're after: http://eurocrime.co.uk/books/books_bi..."

Excellent. Thanks.

[Jeremy]

Eurocrime wrote: "If I can plug my own database, here is some of the information you're after: http://eurocrime.co.uk/books/books_bi..."

This is great, one-stop shopping!